Let's Take A Look

Lets Take A
Look...
Nigel Davies


by Bruce Alberston
We invite you to submit games to be considered by Nigel in this column. For all
games submitted, please provide the following information: (1) Names of both
players; (2) Ratings of both players; (3) When and where the game was played;
(4) The time control used in the game; and (5) Any other information you think
would be helpful for us to know. Please submit the games (in PGN or CBV
format if possible) to: nigeldavies@chesscafe.com. Who knows, perhaps you
will see the game in an upcoming column, as Nigel says to you, Lets take a
look...
Dinner and Chess
After my traditional grandmaster draw with Bogdan Lalic at the last UK 4
Nations Chess League, we retired to the analysis room. Bogdan then showed
me what he had in mind for the Veresov Opening and it turned out that he had
swelled Everymans coffers by buying my books on both the Veresov and
Trompovsky before the game. I have to say that it was lucky I chose the
English, my decision to play this way being dictated by the thought that at least
it avoided sharp theory. But when you dont play boldly you dont get many
chances
It was a far cry from the chess I played in my youth when I was free from the
worry of my professional chess duties. My excuse is nothing but a serious bout
of cowardice. But if Im kind to myself I might cite the nature of todays game
as a contributory factor.
Unfortunately the atmosphere in todays tournaments is one of extreme
seriousness, with instant forfeit being the penalty for ringing mobile phones and
arbiters likely to tell you to be quiet if, heaven forbid, you happen to speak to a
friend. Its even illegal these days to write down your move before playing it as
this constitutes the taking of notes. Why should someone want to commit
such a heinous crime; the huge riches at stake as prize money?
Things used to be very different even 20 years ago. Go back further and the
game is hardly recognizable from what it was. One of my favorite books is
Harold Birds Chess History and Reminiscences in which one gets a feel of
what professional chess was like 100 years ago. Heres an excerpt from the
section on Dinner and Chess:
At Pursells, people used to eat chops, smoke cigars or pipes, play Chess
and talk Cricket all at the same time, which seems to contradict the
assumption that it is impossible to do two things at once. Some say they
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cannot play Chess before dinner, others not after dinner. Too much
dinner is considered a fair excuse for losing at Chess, but no dinner at
all is not a valid plea.
According to the Rev. A. B. Skipworth, who should be an authority on
the subject, professional Chess players are not supposed to dine at all,
but our great friend, the genial Mars, dissents fromthis view. Staunton,
Boden, Steinitz, Mars and Skipworth himself are essentially diners, and
Bird has been accused of a tendency that way.
When was the last time that someone mentioned dinner and chess in the same
sentence? Not in the last couple of decades to the best of my knowledge. Like it
or not we have become sportsmen with every aspect of our little game being
geared towards competition and ratings. If your rating slips it can seriously
damage your credibility, and credibility dictates your level of income. What
was it like in Birds day? Things were much simpler. Here another excerpt from
the section on stakes:
Returning to stakes, I have met here and therewith an amateur who has
had scruples and preferred not even, playing for the shilling.
Buckle, Lord Lyttleton, and many eminent in Chess, were strongly in
favour of the customary small stake, and I have seen dignitaries of the
Church, and spotless amateurs, pocket their shillings with as much gusto
as the poor and much abused professional. It is a kind of voucher to
mark the score.
Professor Ruskin and others who have referred to this question, saw no
objection to the time-honoured stake, and it has been the rule at the
greatest clubs, for, by fixing a custom, it was hoped to keep the stakes
within prescribed limit. It must be admitted that the difference between
one shilling and 25, 50 or 100 on a game is far too large.
Since the growth of the foreign demands for stakes, not thought of in the
days of Philidor, Labourdonnais, McDonnell, Staunton and Morphy,
squaring between players, has been asserted, viz. in 1878, 1885, and
1887, besides which it has always seemed to me that as the stakes go up
the play goes down, and it certainly would be difficult to name a match
in which so few interesting games took place as that between Steinitz
and Zukertort for 400 a side, played in the United States at New York,
St. Louis and New Orleans in 1886.
A sedate and rather severe looking stranger challenged Bird to a game
of Chess once, just when Bird had finished a long sitting with a strong
player, and was in rather a lively mood. "A stake, I suppose," said Bird.
"No, I dont like stakes," said the stranger." Then suppose we say a
chop, or even a basin of soup, fried sole, or box of cigars." The stranger
looked awful for a moment but dismayed by the good temper of his vis a
vis, suddenly relaxed and conformed to the usual rule, and as the love
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tales conclude was happy ever afterwards.
It is best to understand that the stake on each game is a shilling, not to
say simply we play for a shilling. Once, after an eight hours sitting, a
countryman after losing twenty games blandly handed Mr. F. one
shilling for the sitting, and could not be induced to part with more.
Besides the seriousness of chess theres a second problem in that theory has
grown to such an extent that its difficult for anyone to find the time to play at a
high level whilst having the normal things in life like a job and family. Strong
players live in fear that they might not have studied the latest wrinkle. And its
difficult to find a sound opening which hasnt been mapped out by theory.
Is there any way we might roll back the clock?
Certainly there should be less regulation and that would reduce the tension in
tournaments. But what about changing the game itself? Bronstein has said that
we need to play fast whilst Fischer has suggested shuffling the start position.
With the 960 possible start positions of Fischer Random theres little
immediate danger of it being analyzed to death. Is there anything we can do
meanwhile?
Perhaps Alexander Morozevich has demonstrated an interesting way forward by
scouring ancient texts for forgotten variations and then unleashing them against
super-GM opposition. Its not at all easy for his opponents to deal with these
lines over the board and the results can be highly entertaining. Yet here, too,
theres a serious cost in that it takes time to repair ancient variations. At least
its creative and interesting work...
Is this a worthwhile approach for club players? Sure! If Morozevich can use the
Albin Counter Gambit against players like Ivan Sokolov, then its certainly
playable at club level. And at faster time limits all sorts of things are possible.
In response to my recommendation of the Wing Gambit I was sent some games
with this opening by a player calling himself Bigtrucksam. One of these was
won in just five moves against quite respectable opposition. It just shows that
its not to be sneezed at
Bigtrucksam (1902) - I pe (1852)
Sicilian Wing Gambit B20
Internet Blitz 2005
1 e4 c5 2 b4!? e5
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Trying to focus on development rather than
material; in Bigtrucksam - IBA, Internet
Blitz 2005, Black declined the pawn with
2...b6 instead, the game reeling on with 3
bxc5 bxc5 4 Nf3 Bb7 5 Nc3 Nc6 6 Rb1 Rb8
7 Bc4 e6 8 d3 Nf6 9 Bf4 d6 10 00 Be7 11
e5 dxe5 12 Nxe5 Nxe5 13 Bxe5 00?
(Panic. He had to play 13...Bd6 when 14
Bb5+forces Black to give up castling rights
but leaves him on the board at least) 14
Bxb8 Qxb8 15 Ba6 Bxa6 16 Rxb8 Rxb8 17
Qf3 and White won.
Of course the critical reply is 2...cxb4 when theory, such as it is, says 3 a3
(though note that 3 Bb2 and 3 Bc4 lead to sporting chess according to Gerald
Abrahams) 3...d5 4 exd5 Qxd5 5 Nf3 e5. Frank Marshall analyzed this line in
the Special Analysis of Openings chapter in his book of collected games. After
6 axb4 Bxb4 Marshall proposed 7 Na3 (7 c3 Bc5 8 Na3 Nf6 9 Nb5 00 is good
for Black as 10 Nc7 is answered by 10...Bxf2+11 Kxf2 Qc5+winning back the
knight on c7. Marshall also mentioned 7 Ba3 but after 7Bxa3 8 Rxa3 Nc6 9
Nc3 Qd6 10 Nb5 Qe7 11 Qa1 Nf6 12 Bc4 00 13 00 Bg4 it was hardly
inspiring for White in Podgorny - Pachman, 1953) 7...e4 (7...Nf6 8 Nb5 00 9
Nc7 Qc5 10 Nxa8 e4 11 Ng1 Re8 has the terrible threat of 12...e3 according
to Gligoric and Sokolov, but Shredder is unimpressed after 12 c3) 8 Nb5 Kd8
(8...Qd8 must surely be better) 9 Nfd4 Nc6 10 c4 Qd7 11 Bb2 Nf6 12 Qa4 Bc5
13 Nb3 b6 14 Nxc5 bxc5 15 Be2,
with the comment that White threatens to
castle with good prospects. Perhaps I should
add that as a teenager I showed this book to
a strong local amateur who advised me that
castling often comes much more easily...
3 Nf3
Bigtrucksam played this restrained move in
two of the games he sent me. But the Kings
Gambitesque 3 f4!? is more in the spirit of
general mayhem, for example 3...d6
(3...exf4 4 Nf3 d5 5 exd5 Qxd5 6 Nc3 Qh5 7 bxc5 Bxc5 8 d4 Bb4 9 Bd2 Bxc3
10 Bxc3 Ne7 11 Be2 00 12 00 Nbc6 13 Rb1 was about equal at this stage in
Capablanca (of all people) - Viana, Rio de J aneiro 1928. 4 Nf3 Bg4 5 Bc4 Nc6
6 00 Nd4 7 Nxd4!? Bxd1 8 Bb5+Ke7 9 Nf5+Ke6 10 Nc3 cxb4?! (This cant
be good, but even after the sensible 10...Bg4 White can, for example, play 11
Ne3 Nh6 12 f5+Kf6 13 Ncd5+Kg5 14 Nxg4 Nxg4 15 Rf3 with a strong bind
and various threats for the queen.) 11 Nd5 Nf6?? 12 Nxg7+Bxg7 13 f5 mate,
which was Bird (no surprise here) - NN, London 1895.
3...f6
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In the game Bigtrucksam - Milorad, Black decided to take the pawn after all
with 3...cxb4 and after 4 Nxe5 (4 Bc4!?) 4...Nc6 5 Nxc6 bxc6 6 Bb2 Nf6 7 e5
Nd5 8 Bc4 Nb6 9 Bb3 Be7 10 00 00 had a reasonable position. Of course
there are plenty of ways for Black to get a playable game, but nothing gives him
the safety offered by well trodden paths.
4 Nxe5 fxe5?
This loses on the spot. Black had to try 4...Qe7 5 Nf3 Qxe4+, though admittedly
this is very nice for White after 6 Be2 cxb4 7 00 because of the huge lead in
development.
5 Qh5+10
Had Black seen everything or was it that he
just didnt relish continuing a game with his
king wandering around? He is in fact quite
lost here, for example 5 Qh5+Ke7 (5...g6 6
Qxe5+Qe7 7 Qxh8 leaves White the
exchange up for nothing) 6 Qxe5+Kf7 7
Bc4+d5 8 Bxd5+Kg6 9 Qg3+Qg5
(9...Kh6 10 d3+g5 11 h4 is about as
devastating an attack as one could hope for
whilst 9...Kh5 10 Bf7+g6 11 Qe5+wins the
rook on h8) 10 Bf7+Kf6 11 Bb2+winning
Blacks queen. It seems fitting that the final
move of this variation is from a square vacated by Whites b-pawn.
Recommended Reading
Chess History and Reminiscences by Harold Bird
The Veresov by Nigel Davies (Everyman, 2004)
The Trompovsky by Nigel Davies (Everyman, 2005)
Copyright 2005 Nigel Davies. All rights reserved.


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